Spring is about to bloom (I hope) and this is a time of year that I tend to transition from the fuller-bodied reds of winter to lighter style white wines that are more suitable to the foods we consume in the warmer months. What I love about wine- among the most obvious sensory pleasures it provides– is the diversity of experiences it offers to us if we are adventuresome. I suppose the essence of wine appreciation, then, is variety.

Unfortunately, when most of us discover a wine that is pleasing to our palates, we stick with it as if there are no other alternatives. It’s almost as if you’re stuck in a wine rut and find it difficult to abandon that tried-and-true bottle of chardonnay, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc you’re accoustomed to selecting.

I’ll use myself as an example. I truly do enjoy chardonnay in all its stylistic permutations from austere and unoaked to rich and full-bodied. I’ve sipped chardonnay from Australia to France, from Italy to California, and even from those vintners over the mountains in (East) Virginia. However, I hope to convince you to wander outside your wine comfort zone and discover the pleasures that abound in the wide world of wine.

Today I’m going to tell you about a white wine that offers a tasty alternative to the ‘same old same old.’ I hope you’ll give this wine a chance because it’s an especially good alternative to chardonnay. Recently, I was shopping for a white wine that would pair well with the filet of grouper that I intended to grill and drizzle with lemon and butter for dinner that evening. Resisting my tendency to grab a bottle of chardonnay, I chose instead a pinot blanc from Alsace in eastern France. I was not disappointed!

Pinot blanc is a grape that produces an excellent, medium-bodied, crisp white wine. It can also exhibit a creamy texture with rich, ripe apple flavors. The grape thrives in regions with cool climates and long growing seasons like Alsace. It also does well in northern California and in Oregon. In Alsace, the wine has a quality to the taste which I can only describe as slate. No, it doesn’t taste like a blackboard. But it does have a mineral nuance that differentiates pinot blanc produced in Alsace from the stuff made anywhere else. In the US, pinot blanc shows less minerality, but it still offers crisp and round flavors, especially from grapes grown and vinted in California and Oregon.

Pinot blanc is a perfect match to oysters on the half-shell or to broiled white fish such as sea bass, halibut or grouper. It is also a delicious accompaniment to delicate veal or chicken dishes, and it holds up well to cream sauces. I’ve often used it to accompany turkey at Thanksgiving, and I’ve even featured it as an aperitif with hors d’oeuvres. My favorite Alsatian pinot blanc producers are Marcel Deiss, Lucien Albrecht, Domaine Schlumberger, Hugel, and Trimbach. Most Alsatian pinot blanc is priced between $20 and $40 a bottle.

The wine is also made in northern California as well as in Oregon. In California, I suggest you try Bouchaine from Carneros, Dutton-Goldfield from the Russian River Valley and Handley Cellars from Mendocino County. In Oregon, look for bottles of Elk Cove, WillaKenzie Estate and St. Innocent priced from $30 to $45.

You can find these lovely pinot blancs at the Wine Shop at Capitol Market and at other local wine retailers.
Enjoy!

 

In honor of President’s Day, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what wines US presidents sipped, and how some used the fruit of the vine as a diplomatic lubricante. Let’s start with George Washington.

President Washington is said to have had a special affinity for Madeira – a Portuguese fortified, dessert wine that he drank throughout his life. He also attempted to plant vines at his estate at Mount Vernon, but that agricultural venture was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Later, during his presidency, Washington also enjoyed Champagne and he often used it at state dinners.

John Adams supposedly started every day with a pitcher of hard cider. He apparently enjoyed other alcoholic beverages,including wine, and supposedly finished each day with glasses of Madeira.

Thomas Jefferson was probably the most astute wine connoisseur of all the presidents and his love, particularly of Bordeaux, is well documented. According to National Public Radio, Jefferson drank mostly Port, Sherries and occasional red wines before he was sent to France in 1784 to get that country’s assistance during our fight for independance. There, he developed a life-long love of French wines, including the aforementioned Bordeaux as well as Burgundies, Champagne and Rhône wines.

James Monroe apparently liked wine a little too much and his administration was scandalized when more than one thousand bottles of imported wine were billed by him as congressional furniture. James Buchanan and Ulysses S Grant were perhaps the most prolific drinkers among all the presidents, and wine may have taken a back seat to whiskey and other spirits.

Fast forward to the administrations of presidents in the 20th and 21st centuries. Wine has often played an important role in international diplomacy. President Richard M. Nixon used the growing credibility of the California wine industry to diplomatic advantage. When Nixon established diplomatic relations with communist China in 1972, he toasted the Chinese Premier with Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs from Napa Valley.

President Ronald Reagan, a resident of the Golden State, really enjoyed and promoted California wine. One of his favorite wines was Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. He also was the first president to use zinfandel (up until then considered an inferior grape) at a White House dinner. When First Lady Nancy Regan expressed her approval of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, sales of that wine went through the roof. And President Regan reportedly toasted the end of the Cold War with Russian president Gorbachev by lifting a glass of Iron Horse Sonoma County sparkling wine.

While three of the four 21st-century presidents—George W. Bush, Donald J.Trump, and Joe Biden—are teetotalers, they all continued to use wines made from American grapes at White House functions. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also used wine extensively at celebrations and for state dinners. President Obama often used Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state. 

So, wine lovers, no matter what your political affiliation, you can rest assured that your favorite president joins you in the appreciation of wine. Unless you’re a fan of Bush, Biden or Trump.

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The New Year has arrived snowy and frigid, reminding us that wintertime temperatures can be miserable. But January also delivers a jolt of cold, harsh economic reality: it’s time to pay the credit card bill for our profligate holiday spending. While I’m not one who has the discipline to commit to new year’s resolutions, I know it’s time to tighten the budgetary belt a bit, and that includes food…. and wine.

It’s easy to craft inexpensive, hearty wintertime meals. But in my home even modest foods deserve an accompanying wine, and I’ll always look for  appropriate bottles to pair with dinner. The good news is there are a whole host of very tasty, inexpensive wines ($10 to $25 a bottle)  from which to choose. The wines I am recommending are especially complimentary to a wide variety of wintertime dishes including:  soups like chili, gumbo, pasta Fagioli and cheesy potato: dishes such as pot roast, mac and cheese and spaghetti and meatballs; or casseroles like lasagna, moussaka, rice pilaf and Italian sausage and peppers.

The wines below are generally available at wine shops in our area. If you can’t find one, simply ask your retailer to order it for you. So, here you go.

White wine: 2022 Chateau Fage Bordeaux Blanc ($11); 2022 A to Z Oregon Riesling ($18); 2023 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Riesling ($16).2023 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny ($20 – blend of sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay); 2022 Foris Oregon Gewurztraminer ($24); 2023 Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc ($19); 2023 Laboure-Roi Bourgogne Blanc ($24 – chardonnay).

Reds: 2019 Torrebruna Sangiovese ($11); 2021 Terrazas de los Andes Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($18); 2022 Domaine la Guicharde Cotes du Rhone ($21); 2021 Omen Origins Sierra Foothills Zinfandel ($23); 2023 Laboure-Roi Bourgogne ($24- pinot noir); 2021 Masi Bonacosta Valpolicella ($19); 2021 Beckman Cuvee Le Bec Santa Ynez Valley ($25); Clos de L’Esperance Bordeaux Rouge ($16 – merlot); 2020 Mommessin Beaujolais Villages (22).

Happy wintertime sipping!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine – has just been released and is now available to order at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

With Christmas and Hanukkah falling on the same day this year, you’re probably struggling with deciding what wine to gift to those special wino’s in your life. Well, today I’m going to suggest a few options for your consideration that would excite my palate were I to be the recipient of such vinous largesse.

The holiday season, which now begins right around Thanksgiving and will continue through New Year’s Eve, is a time when you will spend about seventy percent of your yearly wine budget purchasing bottles for gifts, parties, and holiday dinners. Here are some bottles that should please the palate of just about every serious sipper. Let’s begin with pinot noir – a very versatile wine that pairs  well with a variety of foods like beef, chicken and even salmon.

2021 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir ($90) – I have collected wines from this Oregon producer since their first vintage in 1990, and this Evenstadt is among the best they’ve ever produced. Full of earthy, dark cherry flavors with a hint spice and oak, this pinot noir is both silky and deep.

The quality of Italian wine is sometimes surprising to wine lovers who are mainly accustomed to drinking full-bodied red wines from California. While many Italian reds can match the intensity of the best Napa Valley cabernets, wines from Italy’s “boot full of wine” can offer more balanced and nuanced bottles. One of the best wines in the world is Brunello di Montalcino made from sangiovese and produced in Tuscany. Here is one of my all-time favorites.

2018 Castello Banfi Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino Riserva ($95) – With aromas of spice and sage, this wine is pure silk exhibiting medium-bodied intensity along with round, rich flavors of ripe cherries. The wine would be a lovely accompaniment to a New Year’s day celebratory meal of roasted rack of pork.

I’m always on the lookout for California reds that exhibit both power and finesse. That generally leads me to wines that are blends, and one of my favorites is a wine called Cyrus. This eminently approachable wine would make a great holiday gift for someone special in your life.

2021 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus ($75) – This Sonoma County wine is named for the founder of Alexander Valley Vineyards, Cyrus Alexander. It’s a full-bodied, yet supple, blend of cabernet sauvignon 54%, cabernet franc 27%, merlot 17%, and 1% each of malbec and petit verdot. The wine has great structure and balance with flavors of blackberries, mocha and spice. Decant the wine for at least one hour and then pair it with any roasted meat like prime rib or pork tenderloin.

If you thought I was only a fan of red wine, you would be mistaken. I love white wine and especially chardonnay in all of its various iterations – from simple and unoaked to full bodied and buttery. The wine I’m recommending for your holiday gift giving today is on the full-bodied end of the spectrum, but it also has complimentary and balancing acidity.

2022 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Chardonnay (Petaluma Gap) ($55) – With a nose of tropical fruit and spice, this delicious mouthful of wine is highlighted by flavors of ripe peaches and vanilla crème brulle. The richness of the wine is balanced by ample acidity. This chardonnay begs to be paired with broiled lobster on the half shell drizzled with drawn butter.

Since no holiday celebration is complete without sparkling wine, I suggest you go out and buy yourself a nice bottle of Champagne. You deserve it for all your thoughtful and heartfelt gifts to friends and loved ones. In fact, I’m going to treat myself to  a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose’ ($70),
and my first toast will be to you

Happy Holidays!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book in the Augie Trilogy – Augie’s Wine – has just been released and is now available. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and in bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

In just a few weeks, we’ll all be sitting down to stuff ourselves at Thanksgiving dinner. That’s my favorite holiday of the year because it’s a wine lover’s dream come true. At the center of the meal is turkey which lends itself to any number of cooking methods from the traditional oven baked bird, to ones grilled over charcoal, and to others that are deep fried or smoked. And that’s just the turkey! When you surround the “national bird” with the various delectable courses and side dishes that traditionally accompany the meal, Thanksgiving is a culinary extravaganza where there are almost limitless wine pairing possibilities.

If you’re a white wine lover, pair your oven basted bird with sauvignon blanc, a buttery chardonnay or a riesling from Alsace. If you’re grilling or smoking the critter, then go ahead and open a big red zinfandel, syrah or even cabernet sauvignon with the meal. Or if you want a red wine that pairs nicely with any of the above-mentioned cooking methods, try a pinot noir from Oregon or even a Beaujolais – that sometimes overlooked wine made from the gamay grape grown and produced in France.

When most Americans think of Beaujolais, we think of Beaujolais Nouveau. In fact, you’ll be able to purchase a bottle of the 2024 Nouveau in about a week. That’s because Beaujolais Nouveau is released with great fanfare each year around the middle of November. It is
a fun wine full of fresh strawberry flavors, and it’s only about two months old when it’s made available. However, Nouveau is more a celebration of the new vintage year than an exercise in fine wine drinking, and it is meant to be drunk within a year of bottling.

But there’s more to Beaujolais than Nouveau!

Today we’ll explore the other wines of Beaujolais, all made from the gamay grape, which are far superior to Nouveau. Beaujolais is a region just south of the Macon appellation in Burgundy. Beaujolais extends south for about 35 miles, and it ends near the famous Rhone wine region of Cote Rotie. The French government categorizes the labelling of the region’s wines as Beaujolais, Beaujolais Superior or Beaujolais Villages and these can be decent to very good wines that can actually improve with bottle age for up to ten years. They’re also bargains, selling in the $15 to $25 a bottle range.

The best wines of the Beaujolais region, though, are known as Cru (which means “growths” in French). Crus are named after the villages around which the grapes are grown. There are ten Cru Beaujolais wines: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint Amour. Each of these Crus produces distinctly different Beaujolais from very light and delicate (i.e., Chiroubles and Fleurie) to fuller-bodied wines (i.e., Moulin a Vent and Morgon). You may see a wine labeled Morgon (the name of a Cru village) in large type with the year and producer (i.e., “Georges Duboeuf”) in smaller type.

Just like in Burgundy, it is very important to select your Beaujolais from reputable producers and shippers. Among the most prominent of these are: Joseph Drouhin, Georges Duboeuf, Louis Jadot, Louis Latour, Prosper Maufoux and Bouchard Pere et Fils. But unlike Burgundy, Cru Beaujolais is more affordable (usually priced in the $25-$50 a bottle range).

Beaujolais Villages wines are very similar in weight and texture to light and medium-bodied pinot noir and can be paired well with less intense foods like cheese, chicken or veal. Crus Beaujolais are more flavorful and make exceptional accompaniments to dishes such as roasted pork tenderloin, grilled chicken or salmon, and, yes, even Thanksgiving turkey.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

As a descendant of Italian immigrants, I’m grateful for and proud of my heritage, and for our government’s recognition of Italian Americans by establishing Columbus Day. On Monday, I plan to cook up something Italian, and pair the dish with vino from the country that has been called: “a boot full of wine.”

Alas, what has been celebrated as Columbus Day since 1792 is now officially known as Indigenous Peoples Day. With all due respect to the folks who existed in North America before Christopher Columbus was credited with discovering our continent, I’m still observing the former holiday.

To be perfectly honest, Columbus was directionally challenged. He left Italy on a trade mission to the orient, but he sailed west instead of east, and ended up discovering North…. AMERICA. But I’m thankful for his navigational mistake. In honor of that fortuitous error, I’m providing you with a recipe for a special cavatappi pasta casserole, and recommending two wines that pair seamlessly with the dish.

And since cavatappi is shaped like a corkscrew, I could think of no more appropriate pasta type than one which is screwy – kind of like Christopher Columbus. 

Columbus Wrong Way Pasta

Ingredients:
One pound of cavatappi
One pound of Italian sausage links
Eight ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
Four tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese
One half cup each red, green and yellow bell peppers chopped
One small onion chopped, and three garlic cloves minced
Three ounces of olive oil
One-quarter chopped fresh basil, and one ounce hot pepper flakes (optional)
One tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns, and salt to taste
Two 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes – preferably San Marzano
One small can of tomato paste
One pint of water

Preparation:
Boil cavatappi in a large pot until al dente, drain and allow to cool
Fry or microwave sausage links, and chop roughly
Saute’ onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil in a large pot
Open cans of whole tomatoes, and crush them by hand into the pot
Stir tomato paste into pot and add the water
Add sausage to the mixture along with salt, pepper, hot pepper and basil
Cook the sauce for one to two hours until it thickens.
Cover bottom of a casserole dish with cavatappi
Mix in sauce and cover with a portion of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan
Add layers of sauce and cheese until casserole is full
Top casserole with mozzarella, cover with foil and bake @ 350 degrees for one hour
Allow to rest for 20 minutes, cut in squares and serve

My wine selection for the recipe is Chianti which is made in Tuscany. The Italian government requires that Chianti must contain no less than 70 percent sangiovese grapes. Chianti Classico must be comprised of 80 percent sangiovese and be aged for 12 months, while Chianti Classico Riserva must be aged in barrels for at least 24 months before it can be bottled. Here are the two wines I recommend for Columbus Wrong Way Pasta.

2021 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva ($22) With intense notes of black cherry and blueberries, this wine is medium-bodied with chewy tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. It is a subtle, but delicious accompaniment to this robust pasta dish.

2021 Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva ($30) Aromas of tobacco and toasty oak lead to flavors of ripe red currants with a finishing note of red cherries. A fuller flavored Chianti than the Frescobaldi, this wine stands up to and enhances this bold and spicy cavatappi recipe.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com